


Save You

by dqlumos32



Series: Save Myself [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 12:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11967291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dqlumos32/pseuds/dqlumos32
Summary: He really shouldn’t be there at that time. It was the weekend. It was time where families were having good times, spending each seconds together. There were too many people and Tom Riddle hated that.





	Save You

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta-ed.

_'I gave all my oxygen to people that could breath_  
_I gave away my money and now we don’t even speak_  
_I drove miles and miles but would you do the same for me?_  
_Oh, honestly?'_

 

Tom Riddle, aged 20, was strolling around the park with frowns on his face. He really shouldn’t be there at that time. It was the weekend. It was time where families were having good times, spending each seconds together. There were too many people and Tom Riddle hated that.

‘Go out, Tom. See more people. You’d do well,’ he remembered Mrs Johnson said that. Why did he listen to the old neighbour again?

Ah… yes… he needed air. Being 20, stuck in a muggle town because his current job demanded him to; was suck. He could apparate somewhere, take the floo, or maybe summon the knight bus. But no, he was there, walking on his two legs, strolling around the park with frowns on his face.

He questioned his mind – no, his body to be exact – on why he was there. This behaviour of trying to mingle with unknown people was not his. This was more of a gut, instinctive maybe, that something was calling him here. What was it?

“Freak!”

There it was.

He saw a group of big boys surrounding something… someone, somewhere near the largest tree. Of course with families around, no one paid attention to them; not even when the largest of them, a blonde, shouted like he was on stage trying to get the audience to listen without microphone. Everyone was avoiding the situation and they were pretty good at it. Apparently they managed to make sweating under the hot burning sun looked more fun than resting under the shades enjoying whatever they brought for lunch.

Tom wanted to leave but something made him stood there unmoving. Saving a bullied teenager never crossed his mind even when he was bullied once. He took beating pretty well but he fought back; not directly though. He preferred causing unescapable troubles to his bullies. They were all weak when confronted with fears, and that include those who were bullied too.

Being weak was a flaw.

“Who’s gonna save you, Potty? Your mommy and daddy?” the blonde mocked, laughing.

“I don’t have my mommy and daddy, Big D. You know that,” a calm voice replied. “And I don’t need saving, and you perfectly know why,”

Another laughter erupted; only this time Tom could hear the calm voice joined it too.

“I could beat you up,” the blonde – Big D – said. “I could tell my mum you misbehave and cause trouble. I could—”

Silence.

Tom walked closer. What he saw stunned him.

“You have stick? So that’s what can save you?” another boy in red shirt jerked.

There was a smaller boy, sitting under the tree. Tom assumed he was the one who had the calm voice. He had black hair but unlike him, his was all over the place. He wore glasses and a plain old shirt. His shoes were worn with hints of holes at the front. And his hands were playing with the said stick that he recognized as a wand.

“This can save me. Ask Dudders here, he knows how this stick works,”

“You can’t use it here,” Big D said, almost whispering.

“You are right, I can’t,” Harry said again, “but you aren’t exactly right either,”

The words made Dudley ashen.

“You’re lying,”

“Want to test that theory?” the boy asked, leaning against the bark. “I learnt few tricks you know, doing you-know-what without actually using this. Maybe if you let me, I’ll make sure you visit the hospital again to remove the cute tails you got last year. And maybe I could add a good pair of ear to go with?”

“What are you waiting for Big D? We can take on him,” this time a boy with brown curly hair said. He was as big as the others.

“Yeah! And he can’t tell anyone. No one believes a freak,”

“Yeah! Come on Big D!”

They were all shouting, trying to get their leader to make a move first. Instead, Big D chose to have a staring contest with the sitting boy. From where he stood, Tom could see the boy smirked without actually looking at them. He played with his wand and occasionally waved it up and down. The boy was mocking and taunting them.

Then he saw what the boy wasn’t. Big D finally made the move. But before a big fist landed on the boy’s face, Tom found himself stopping the scene.

“What are you doing?”

Everyone in the group were looking at him now, so he walked closer. His presence, as usual, brought chill to people. He judged them by looking at somewhat intimidating faces of the group. Tom would say they were sweating of fear if it wasn’t for the scorching sun on their head.

“Why do you care?” Big D asked, almost relieved.

“Just asking I guess,” Tom said.

“Go away,” one of them tried to push him.

Tom did stagger a bit there. Chuckling, he stood properly again and straightened his wrinkle free shirt. He might have accidentally flashed his red eyes for a moment there – the bullies took a step back.

“My name is Tom,” he started, “I went to school with that guy,” he pointed at the still sitting boy.

“So what?” the one in red shirt asked rudely. “That would mean you are just as freak as him,”

The others continued mocking him sans Big D. He went paler and Tom swore the said guy was planning to run away.

So he knew who he was. And that would mean he knew the one he was bullying was just like him. Now that was interesting.

“I decide to let you go today,” Big D suddenly said, much to his friends’ confusion. “You got lucky, Potty. Come on, guys,”

Big D actually had to drag one of them away so that the others would follow. They complained but follow him nevertheless. Big D didn’t turn back and Tom waited until he can’t hear their rumblings before turning his head to the one who was left.

The boy stood, curious. He was smaller than what he expected him to be.

“Why?” he asked.

Arching his brows, Tom asked back. “Why what?”

“Why did you save me?”

The question made Tom wondered the same thing. “What’s your name?” he asked, avoiding the question.

“Harry,”

“Harry… Hi, Harry. My name is Tom,” Tom didn’t offer his hand, rather, he put them in his pockets.

“You still haven’t answer my question; why did you save me?”

“Why are you so curious? Aren’t you supposed to say thank you? That’s manner, you know,”

“Thank you, Tom,” Harry replied, probably half-heartedly grateful. “Again… why did—”

“—I save you?” Tom cut him. “Just because,”

His answer made Harry frowned.

“No one saves someone else for just because,” Harry said.

“Are you my fellow Slytherin? And before you answer my question, put away the wand will you? You are attracting the muggles,”

He quickly shoved the wand back inside his sleeves, pretending it was never there. “So you are my schoolmate,” Harry stated, shocked. “I don’t remember seeing you though,”

“I left two years ago,”

“I’m into my second year, no wonder,”

“Hmmm… so, you got picked a lot?” Tom asked.

“Wasn’t it normal? When you are different from others,” Harry replied nonchalantly.

“But he knows you’re a wizard and he still picked on you?”

“Dudley is my cousin, of course he knows. His friends don’t,” Harry said, shrugging. “When you’re the leader of a group who terrorized kids, you got to do things that makes your friends expects you to,”

“And you don’t mind that? Where’s your parents? Shouldn’t they do something?”

“I’m powerless here. I can only threaten Dudley, not others.” Harry then smiled sadly. “My parents can’t be here to do anything. They are dead.”

“Oh… I’m sorry,” Tom apologize out of manner. “So I take you live with your cousin’s family. Let me guess, anti-wizards?”

At that statement, Harry chuckled. “Pretty much. Still they let me live with them,”

“How noble of them.” Tom dramatically claimed. “I got bullied before too you know, when I was growing up,” Tom opened up his past. It was something he had never done. “I fought back,”

“Good for you,”

“Come, let me walk you to your house,”

Harry shook his head, “I must not go back yet. It’s not time,”

Tom frowned. “What do you mean it’s not time?”

“They are having guests, important people from Uncle Vernon’s workplace. I should make myself disappear until after dinner,”

If it was possible, smoke would erupt from his head. Harry reminded him a lot of his childhood.

Just like Harry, he wasn’t welcome anywhere in the house. Someone’s coming, don’t come out of your room. We’re are having big discussion, don’t make any noise. We don’t like you here.

His mother died shortly after she had him, his muggle father hated the fact he was born and his grandparents weren’t as loving as normal grandparents should. So he was sent to probably the most awful orphanage in Britain to grow up. His father paid a lot to make sure no one would link them together in spite of their uncanny look.

He heard he did have a grandfather and an uncle from his mother’s side but he had no idea where they were; probably long dead. And if they weren’t, he had no intention of finding them. They literally didn’t exist if it wasn’t for a small journal he found in the attic.

“Have you eaten?” Tom asked after taking a deep breath.

Harry nodded, his hand went to his tummy and he started to avoid Tom’s eyes. Tom recognized it well enough; the signs. Hungry yet could not, must not tell anyone so.

“I’m hungry,” Tom said, inviting Harry. “I could do some company,”

“I am not supposed to go with unknown people,”

“You know me, I’m Tom. And if I am that suspicious, you’d never talk to me in the first place. And believe me, I wouldn’t dare do anything bad to you. Accidental magic is a nightmare to those at the receiving end,”

Harry pondered at Tom’s word. He scrunched his face as if he had swallowed a whole lemon. He stood still while Tom had walked a few steps, staring at the latter’s figure.

Tom didn’t stop though. Instead he turned around, almost coyly waving his hand. He knew Harry would be tempted, just like he did many times before. And true to a typical Slytherin everyone assumed to be, he had trust issue. So he chose being hungry than following some random stranger offering food.

“Do you think I could get two burgers?”

Tom stopped walking. He had two guts. One; Harry wasn’t a Slytherin. Slytherin may ask for food but not directly like this. Second, he was not going to like what he was about to hear.

“Maybe I could keep one for dinner,” Harry continued, head facing the ground. “If not then it’s ok. I wouldn’t mind getting one; or something else,” his head was up again, smiling in a hope to conceal upcoming disappointment.

“You never had one?” Tom asked.

“I did,” Harry smiled, “But Dudley made it so delicious. And you’re offering… you know what? It’s ok. I should go,”

He turned away. Tom swore Harry walked much faster than he what he used to, probably trying to avoid the embarrassment.

“Harry… wait,” Tom came to him. “For a Gryffindor, it’s not cool to back off like that,”

“You know how?” Harry turned back.

“Ah… so I am right. I took a guess. I’m a good guesser,”

“You said you’re a Slytherin. Slytherins I know don’t guess. They are hell good observer,”

Tom chuckled. Harry sure knew what he was talking about.

“Are you still up for the burgers? I know a good place,”

“Why you always avoid my questions?”

“You did the same to mine,”

“I’m 12 – almost. I’m a curious boy,”

Tom laughed this time; big. He walked closer to Harry and for the first time in his life, he willingly rested his arm on someone’s shoulder.

“Maybe I’ll tell you during the lunch?” he asked, more of a request actually.

Harry smiled. “I regrow my hair as it is now when my aunt cut them off. I might have made Dudley trapped in a snake’s cage at the zoo when he pushed me when I was talking to a snake there – pretty friendly for a reptile you know. I wonder what I would cause you,”

Tom raised his brows. “Threatening me, little Parselmouth?”

“I might be,” Harry shrugged. “What’s a Parselmouth though? You seem like a brilliant student,”

“Seem?” Tom raised his brows, “I was brilliant. I still am,” his tone sounded annoyed but without menace.

Harry chuckled. “Maybe you should meet Hermione. She’s in my year. Brilliant too. She answered every question in class correctly,”

“Hmmm… is she’s your friend?”

“She helped me with homework,”

He smiled sadly at him. Again, maybe just like him, Harry had no friend. He was alone. Unwanted. Deprived of love. But Harry wasn’t cunning, wasn’t ambitious as he was. Yes, Harry was bold; he would do probably everything to get what he wanted but not anything. So while he knew perfectly how Harry felt, he knew Harry got hurt easily. And judging from the short minutes he spent with him, he also knew at one point in his life, Harry would be a recluse if he found no one he could confide in. Just like him.

“Tom? Are you ok?” Harry asked.

He may have spaced out for a moment there. But in that moment, he had new goal…

“Sorry,” he apologized first, “Hey, do you think your uncle and aunt would mind if you get back a little late?”

He wanted to befriend Harry.

_‘So before I save someone else,_  
_I’ve got to save myself’_  
_\- Save Myself, Ed Sheeran_


End file.
